For the country to work, we must debate our fellow citizens with a certain basic respect -- not as mortal enemies.
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The Fourth of July couldn't have come soon enough this year. On the nation's 237th birthday, Americans are stuck in a marathon family fight -- one of those rolling, tag-team, shoutfests where members choose up sides, let emotions rip and create poisonous divisions among themselves. We need to kick back and relax, if just for a day.

Backyard cookouts, downtime at the beach and fireworks displays? Consider them therapy as we sort out which values we like as a nation and which ones we want to scrap.

On this day in 1776, they produced a Declaration of Independence -- a mission statement in part -- that articulated with passion and clarity the kind of country they envisioned.

Their working assumption was that all men are created equal -- endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And they did something else.

Strong debate is a hallmark of our democracy, but so are humanitarianism, inclusiveness, an appreciation of compromise and the idea that we're one nation from many kinds of people. For the country to work, we must debate our fellow citizens with a certain basic respect -- not as mortal enemies. We all need a cool-down. Happy Fourth.